1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fire sprinkler head that once activated can be shut off via a built-in ball-style cutoff valve without requiring the flow of fire retardant in the feeding pipe to be cut off.
2. Background of the Invention
When commercial and residential fire sprinklers are activated by heat, fire retardant flows freely through the sprinkler. Usually that fire retardant is water. Once the fire or fire risk has been suppressed, continued retardant flow causes considerable damage. In many cases the damage from water or other retardant grossly exceeds the damage caused by fire. It would be beneficial for firefighters and building support personnel to be able to shut off an individual fire sprinkler quickly. The current primary method for cutting off the flow of water or other retardant is to shut the retardant off at the source for the sprinkler system. This is time-consuming, as finding the riser room and then the correct shutoff valve can take many minutes. It is also dangerous, as the entire sprinkler system or subsystem is disabled until the fire sprinkler is repaired or replaced and water pressure is reestablished.
In certain buildings with fire prevention systems, such as college dormitories or commercial buildings, occupants or invitees might be tempted to tamper with sprinklers featuring a manually operated valve. For any sprinkler system including such a feature, it therefore becomes important to provide a tamper-resistant operation feature whereby only authorized personnel are given access to the valve.
The inclusion of a manually operated cutoff valve in a fire sprinkler has the potential to alter or enlarge the size of the sprinkler housing and/or assembly, making such housing or assembly difficult or impossible to mount within existing fire prevention systems and supply pipes. Such a feature also has the potential to unreasonably increase the cost of manufacture and installation of each such sprinkler. Inclusion of a cutoff valve within a standard sprinkler assembly and housing would be beneficial to combat such incompatibility and to keep costs in line with standard sprinklers.
Capasso et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,866 discloses an apparatus for stopping the flow of water through the opening in a fire sprinkler head after the failure of an originally installed triggering device, which apparatus thereafter serves as a substitute triggering device. The apparatus is provided with a meltable body portion having a first bore formed therein with a shoulder formed at one end of the first bore and a second bore formed generally transverse to and in contact with the first bore at the shoulder end of the first bore, a spring positioned in the first bore, a piston positioned within the spring and having a slot at one end which is alignable with the second bore and a pin inserted through the second bore and engaging the piston slot. Thus, after placement in a sprinkler head, transverse movement of the pin results in the release of the piston which is moved by the spring into the sprinkler head opening, stopping the flow of water.
Capasso, U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,117 discloses a thermally responsive device for terminating the discharge of fire-extinguishing fluid from an activated sprinkler head of the pendent and sidewall type. The device includes a recessed seat which, when impressed onto an activated sprinkler head, returns the shut-off valve to the water emitting conduit to obturate fluid flow. The device is secured by a frictional locking means which allows it to remain in place as a guard against inadvertent discharge.
DeGennaro, U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,013 discloses an automatic shut-off valve arrangement for a fire sprinkler system includes a set of auxiliary pipe fittings interconnected between the water distribution pipes and the sprinkler heads. Each fitting houses a multi-vane paddle wheel rotatably mounted under an eccentric valve opening normally unobstructed by a movable valve member, and the paddle wheel axle is connected by a gear train to an actuator for the valve member. When water flows from the distribution pipe through the fitting and exits therefrom via the sprinkler head to douse a fire, the paddle wheel rotates rapidly and drives the actuator via the gear train so that the valve member is shifted to close the valve opening and interrupt the flow of water therethrough after a prescribed time interval, thereby minimizing the risk of water damage to the protected premises.
Reed, U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,252 discloses a tool for deactivating a sprinkler head. The tool includes a housing, a first arm supported by the housing and a second arm supported for movement relative to the first arm. A first engagement surface is supported by the first arm and a second engagement surface is supported by the second arm. The first and second engagement surfaces are adapted for positioning intermediate a valve and a receiving support of the sprinkler head. A biasing member is operably connected to the second arm for urging the second engagement surface away from the first engagement surface. A handle is supported by the second arm and is moveable relative to the housing.
Wancho et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,668 discloses a sprinkler that discharges a column of water downwardly onto a deflector that has a plurality of peripheral tines with a respective non-radial tapered notch separating each adjacent pair of tines. Opposed cutouts with tabs in the central portion of the deflector combine with the notches and with depressed peripheral tabs to produce a predetermined spray pattern.
Fischer, U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,543 discloses a low pressure, extended coverage, fire protection sprinkler, i.e. of the upright type, suitable for use in protection of extra hazard and high piled storage occupancies, in accordance with the 1999 Edition of NFPA 13, that has a body with an internal passageway extending between an inlet end and an opposite outlet end, and a deflector mounted to the body by at least one support arm and disposed in alignment with the axis and generally spaced from the outlet end of the internal passageway. The sprinkler has a predetermined K-factor, i.e. of greater than about 16.0. The sprinkler is configured and arranged to deflect flow of water generally radially outwardly and downwardly of the sprinkler in a predetermined spray pattern. Preferably, the predetermined spray pattern has a generally polygonal shape, e.g., a rectangular shape, when viewed at a predetermined distance below the deflector.
Dade, U.S. Pat. No. 7,422,072 discloses a sprinkler wedge designed for inhibiting water discharge from an open or activated sprinkler head. The sprinkler wedge generally comprises a main body having proximal and distal ends, a handle assembly connected toward the proximal end for easy grasping by a human hand, and a forked tip toward the distal end. The sprinkler wedge is designed for improved single-handed insertion into the water stream of an activated sprinkler head.
Flynn, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/359,880, Pub. No. 20100186973, discloses a sprinkler with a built-in cone plug-style cutoff valve manually operated from a screw head disposed on the underside of the sprinkler, within the center of the deflector shield. By turning the screw head using a standard or modified screwdriver, the operator moves the cone plug along the central axis of the sprinkler, from an open position into a closed position wherein the cone engages with a seal and blocks fire retardant from exiting the sprinkler.